United Nations back Wikileaks founder Julian Assange

An Expert Panel of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights has comdemned as “arbitrary” the detention of Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Assange, the Australian activist who created the whistleblowers’ portal, is wanted in Sweden on charges of sexual misconduct. And he has been living in the Ecuador embassy in London for the past three years for fear he will be arrested and extradited. Since Wikileaks has exposed alleged war crimes and embarrassing military and diplomatic information about the US, there is a fear that the Americans might also seek his extradition.

Speaking by videolink to a press conference at the Frontline Club in London, Assange called the decision “ a vindication”, noting that the UN Panel on Arbitrary Detention is the world’s leading legal authority in this matter.

Watch the full press conference here:

The UN experts found that the detention was arbitrary because Mr Assange was held in isolation at Wandsworth prison; and because a lack of diligence by the Swedish Prosecutor’s Office in its investigations resulted in his lengthy loss of liberty.

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